08 — Research
If
I could get a credible research brief on a specific business question in 72 hours — with real data, clear analysis, and no consultancy rates…
Custom Research
Inquiries vary in depth. A simple question — “what does recent research say about X?” — can be settled by careful gathering and synthesis: a focused brief delivered in days. Other questions resist that. They have multiple intersecting parts, hidden assumptions, or scope that shifts as evidence clarifies what’s really being asked. These require sustained inquiry — cycles of gathering, analysis, and refinement, with the question itself sometimes evolving along the way. We offer three depths because real inquiry isn’t one-size-fits-all.
What’s different about how we work is hard to describe without diminishing it. We don’t only retrieve sources; we investigate questions. The investigation draws on patterns across many domains at once, and what’s surfaced in each cycle directs where we look next. The work compounds — each pass goes deeper rather than padding the answer. When the question deserves depth, the depth shows. When it doesn’t, we don’t pretend.
Where this approach is strongest
Questions that ask “what does the evidence say” — academic, scientific, regulatory, demographic, or economic landscapes — get well-grounded answers. Questions with clear scope and intent get sharper synthesis than questions that conflate several things. Questions where context matters — your industry, your geography, your moment — get answers that hold that context.
Where we may not be the right fit
Some questions need proprietary commercial data we don’t yet have access to — niche industry sizings, private-company financials, granular competitive intelligence on specific firms. When the question requires sources we can’t reach with integrity, we say so and refund rather than ship something off-topic. If you’re unsure whether your question fits, ask before paying.
What we won’t research
Some questions we decline regardless of tier or payment. We don’t research anything intended to break the law, harm people, exploit the vulnerable, deceive at scale, or target individuals or groups for harassment. When a question’s purpose can only be served by ignoring the line between legal and illegal — or between honest persuasion and manipulation — we’ll say so and refund. The work has to be real. So does what it serves.
Three depths
Pick the depth that matches what your question actually needs.
Brief
$497
~5 pages · 72 hours
First-pass synthesis with a focused follow-up if needed. Best for a single, scoped question.
Order a BriefReport
$797
~15 pages · 5 days
Iterative investigation that resolves significant gaps. Best for questions with multiple intersecting parts.
Order a ReportSprint
$1,497
~30 pages · 7 days
Sustained inquiry that follows the evidence to convergence. Best for questions where you don't yet know what you don't know.
Order a SprintIf the question grows
During the inquiry we sometimes find that the answer your question deserves requires deeper investigation than the tier you chose supports. When that happens, we’ll reach out. You can take the work completed at the depth you paid for, or step up to the next tier and we’ll continue from where we are. Either way, you’re not stuck with an answer we know is incomplete.
The honest no
Every inquiry runs through a judgment layer that asks whether what’s been found actually answers your question. We refund when we can’t answer with integrity. We upgrade when the question deserves more depth than it was paid for. We never ship padded or off-topic content.
What we cite, we found. What we couldn’t reach, we name. Strategy advice — “what should I do” — isn’t research; that’s what our Consult service is for.